Telford services - Motorway Services Online, Telford | service stations Motorway Services Online Single site located at a junction. Ratings 6 Visitor Feedback Facilities Catering: Burger King , Starbucks , Costa Express , Krispy Kreme , West Cornwall Pasty Co. Shops: Waitrose , WHSmith Main Amenities: Ecotricity Electric Vehicle Charging Point, Meeting Room, Picnic Area, Showers, Welcome Break Gaming Motel: Days Inn book Forecourt: Shell (with: Autogas LPG), Welcome Break Shop, Costa Express Parking Prices First two hours free for all vehicles, after which cars must pay £6 for up to 12 hours and HGVs, caravans and coaches must pay £20 for 24 hours, or £22.50 to include a £9 meal voucher. Prices can be paid in the shop, with instructions in each car park. They are strictly enforced by ParkingEye . Trivia The services are very open plan - all contained within one shell. The services opened on the 17th March 2003 and were built and developed by British Land plc.

Telford is the last 'proper' service area for traffic heading west towards Mid Wales and the A5. Hilton Park services sit between where traffic from the M54 would join and leave, if it was a mile further south as per the original plan it could be said that Telford services aren't needed. Whoops. The services had an official cat, a visitor left it behind and never claimed it back so now the staff take care of it. It was used to keep the rats down and it had several kittens, which were given to the RSPCA. The services are quite small, and include an especially narrow corridor leading to the toilets. Waitrose occupies a former Eat In counter, but otherwise the services are largely unchanged. The WHSmith store stretches out across the back of the seating area. Survey Results In May 2012 and August 2011, Visit England rated the services as 3 stars. In 2008 the services won a five star loo award. In 2006 and again in 2007, Telford won a five star loo award. Alternatives M54. The Telford Motorway M54.

The Telford Motorway History and Background Two roads of major historic importance traverse the area within which the M54 was built. These are the A5, Watling Street, which was part of the network of military roads built by the Romans in C.40 AD. The Watling Street connected Rochester in Kent to Wroxeter in Shropshire. The other road which came to prominence in the early nineteenth century was the A454/A41/A5, Birmingham to Holyhead Turnpike much of which was built by Thomas Telford in the early 1800's. Both these roads became trunk roads. Prior to the completion of M54 these roads carried heavy volumes of traffic particularly commercial traffic between England and the seaport of Holyhead for Ireland. The roads were, and largely still are, narrow, tortuous and pass through many rural towns and villages. The initial aim of M54 was to take the majority of long distance and commercial traffic off the two trunk roads.

In the early 1960's Government announced an intention to establish a new town in the area around Dawley in Shropshire with twin objectives to improve employment availability in South Shropshire and to provide accommodation and services for population overspill from the West Midland Conurbation. Two major policy decisions in the mid-sixties affected the Dawley development, vis: the proposed boundaries of Dawley New Town were extended northwards to encompass the existing towns of Oakengates and Wellington and the enlarged proposals were re-named Telford New Town. the business and industrial attraction of the New Town would be enhanced by the provision of appropriate direct access to the national motorway network (i.e.M6). Initial planning of the New Town was based on a target population of 225,000 in 1991 of which 136,000 would be overspill from the West Midlands.

In 1967 Freeman Fox, Wilbur Smith Associates (FFWSA) were invited by the Ministry of Transport's, Midland Road Construction Unit (MRCU) to investigate and report on the impact of the New Town proposals on traffic demand between the New Town and Wolverhampton and the best highway solution to meet this demand. In 1968 FFWSA submitted their Traffic Report which predicted a demand of 75,000 p.c.u/day by 1990 and a need for a dual 3-lane motorway. The report identified two corridors for a new motorway and a third option upgrading existing roads. the A5 Corridor to M6 South of Gailey (J12) a new Corridor to M6 North of Laney Green (J11) upgrade existing A5 to full dual carriageway grade separated standards together with improvements to A41 and A464 trunk routes. Route Location and Engineering Design Initial route studies followed the standard practice of identifying technically feasible lines within the corridors; carrying out all the appropriate consultations and investigations relating to these lines; establishing capital costs of the alternatives and their economic ranking, using recently introduced procedures for economic evaluations.

Construction The first section of M54 to be built was the Wellington By-pass. This was built between 1973-1975. The Contractor was M. J. Gleeson Ltd and the designer the Staffordshire Sub-Unit of MRCU. There were elements of the design which left much to be desired. The bridges in particular were poor, both from the point of view of constructional detail and aesthetics. The specification used for the sub-base was inappropriate. Build quality was also poor with the carriageway starting to break up after only two years. This was not helped by the decision to go for a choice of flexible or rigid construction in the tender. MRCU H.Q. had made strenuous efforts to have the rigid option dropped due to high incidence of old mine workings along much of the route. Short term economics at Marsham Street and the Treasury once again prevailed. Over the fifteen year period post opening, almost all the original concrete carriageway had had to be replaced. The whole length has now been covered with H.R.A. It also has to be said that relationships between the Contractor and the Resident Engineer during the contract were not good.

The 30km length of the Telford-M6 section M54 excluding Wellington By-Pass, was divided into four contracts with a fifth contract being let for the Forge Interchange with the Telford Town Centre. All sections were designed by Sir Owen Williams and Partners. The first of the four main contracts to be let was Contract 2, Donington. The Contractor was R M Douglas Construction Ltd. The carriageway was of rigid (concrete) construction laid using a brand new fixed form paver fondly named 'the orange blossom special' because of its bright colour. The two year contract was completed in only 18 months. This was because the first season starting in February 1981 was very dry and all the earthworks and much of the bridgeworks were completed by the autumn. The roadworks followed at a similar pace and the contract completed in Jun 1982. R M Douglas provided an experienced and highly competent team which did much to produce a very satisfactory outcome. The only problem, if indeed it was a problem, of finishing 6 months early was the pressure it put on the other 3 contracts to do likewise.

Unfortunately the weather was not so kind over the ensuing 2 years. The second contract to be let was Contract 1, Shifnal. The Contractor was A Monk & Co. Again, the carriageway was of concrete construction laid using a slip-form paver. A major feature of this contact was the use for the first time in UK of a pulverised fuel ash/ordinary portland cement (pfa/opc) blend being used in concrete. The specification was written by TRRL who also monitored the work on site. It proved to be a very successful experiment and eventually lead to the widespread use of the pfa/opc blend being specified as a standard. The third contract was Contract 3, Codsall. The Contractor was Alfred McAlpine & Son (Southern) Ltd. Like Contract 1, the Contractor won the contract with a rigid carriageway bid. The concrete again being laid with a slip-form paver. Further pfa/opc blends were used in the concrete mix. This contract traversed the Big Wood in Chillington Park where very extensive environmental and visual screening works were carried out. The fourth, and largest contract to be let was Contract 4 (Essington).

The contractor was Tarmac Civil Engineering Ltd (now Carrilion Construction). The carriageway construction was of flexible (HRA wearing course) construction – this being the cheapest price in this instance. The National Trust property of Moseley Old Hall had to be protected on its north and west sides by a huge earth bund. Much of the material coming from the old colliery waste tops at nearby Hilton Main Colliery. Colliery waste was used extensively elsewhere in the contract. The free-flow interchange with M6 had to be very carefully planned to avoid disruption of flow on M6. It has to be said here that opposition from Staffordshire County Council caused the works to be delayed longer than necessary and for the works to cost considerably more than envisaged. The County Council insisted on temporary roads being provided on both sides of the M6 to enable some local traffic to continue using a side road during the works. In the event this local traffic found alternative routes to avoid the delays. Politics overruled common sense! The completion of this contract obviously dictated the opening of the whole length (it was not possible to open individual sections early due to the junction placements), so pressure was (gently) applied to the Contractor.

Despite some small efforts by Neville Simms – later Sir Neville, to have the contract accelerated – (no doubt to make more money for Tarmac (now Carrilion Construction)) the contract was completed (almost) on time. The final decision to build M54 immediately lead to a rapid increase in the development of Telford New Town. This applied also to the Town Centre which was planned as a major regional shopping centre. Telford Development Corporation (TDC) requested Department of Transport to provide an all-turns interchange between M54 and the Town Centre at Forge. TDC agreed to pay the cost of designing and building the interchange. As a result orders were published, a public inquiry held, orders made and a contract let in a very short space of time. The contract was awarded to Norwest Holst who completed the works within 18 months and this was opened in time to coincide with opening of the whole length of M54 between Telford and M6. Main Menu Leader: M54 to M6 motorway link far the better option « Shropshire Star A new motorway link between the M54 and the M6 could be the best news for our local economy in generations.

But don’t expect the project to happen any time soon. We will have to wait until at least 2018 before the planned road is open. And while we sit and wait, an estimated £33 billion will be spent on a high speed rail link between London and Birmingham that few people seem to want. HS2 seems to have become a pet project for the Government, even though the likely economic benefits fall with each passing day – while the environmental problems increase. Originally, HS2 was forecast to create £2.40 of economic benefit for every pound spent – that figure has already dropped to £2.10 and is likely to fall further as costs for the scheme escalate. Meanwhile, politicians fail to grasp the nettle in Telford and Shropshire. Building a new motorway link between Shropshire’s motorway, the M6 north and the M6 toll would have a dramatic effect on the local economy. It would create hundreds of short term jobs in the construction industry, which would give the economy a shot in the arm. Just as importantly, it would encourage more and more companies to invest in the region.

Projects like the i54 Business Park, just off junction two of the M54, would have a brighter future if a motorway link was built. 2018 is too long to wait for our motorway link – the relief it will bring to our region will be far greater than any benefits from the costly and unpopular HS2. England – Midlands England – Midlands A38(M) Aston Expressway In the 1960's Birmingham was reaching its peak as a heavily industrialised manufacturing city. The principal road network was becoming progressively congested due to increased business activity and growth in road transport. One of the key routes affected was the A38 between Birmingham City centre and Salford Bridge, which served as the transport corridor to the north and north-east of the city. M1 The first stage to be built was that between Berrygrove and Crick. The London-Birmingham motorway was given priority because of the "immediate and very substantial relief which it could give to the two heavily overloaded trunk roads A5 and A6".

The 74 miles of the London - Birmingham motorway to Crick constituted the "first full scale motorway to be constructed" in the UK and was in fact the southern part of the London-Yorkshire motorway, the M1. Length: 311 / 193 M1 Crick to Doncaster n 1960 the Consulting engineers were asked by the Ministry to proceed with scheme preparation and detailed design for the remaining 87 miles from Crick to Doncaster. Tenders for the first contract were invited in 1962 and by December 1967 the whole 87 miles had been constructed. M40. Waterstock (J8A) to Umberslade (M42 - J3A) The M40 up to Oxford was planned with its extension in mind. In the late 1960's, the Ministry of Transport carried out a feasibility study on a new route between Oxford and Birmingham while it was considering the development of a strategic motorway network for the country. It was to provide a direct link from the Midlands and North West to the South coast ports and an added route to London and the South East as an alternative to the M1.

In 1972 it was added to the trunk road programme. M42 Birmingham's history can be traced back to Anglo-Saxon times and it is mentioned in the Doomsday Book. By the end of the 13th Century it was a fair sized market town and the Bull Ring was the meeting point for the local road system. Birmingham developed into a large town and city after the Industrial Revolution. Length: 43.45 / 27 M5 In 1957 the Ministry of Transport had plans for three main elements of the National Motorway Network, namely the London-Yorkshire Motorway, M1, the Birmingham-South Wales Motorway, M5 and the Birmingham-Preston Motorway, M6. The most important missing element was the link between these three schemes. Length: 106.22 / 66 M5 Bristol to Birmingham Motorway Anyone who studies a road map of the Midlands would be excused from wondering why a short length of motorway running through the rural areas of Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire was ever required let alone built.

Even today, over 40 years since it was opened, it remains a delight to drive on with comparatively little traffic using it. The reason for this lies behind a pre-war vision that there was a need to connect the steel manufacturing centres of South Wales with the metal bashing industries of Birmingham and the Black Country. M5 Widening between Junctions 3 & 8 Probably the decision which has had the greatest effect on the M5 in Worcestershire was to build it to dual 2-lane standard. It has to be remembered that the Gloucester Section (south of junction 8) was dual 3-lane and the section north of Quinton (junction 3) was dual 3-lane. There seemed no sense therefore in building the middle section in Worcestershire to dual 2-lane. M50 The M50 was one of the earliest Motorways to be built in the United Kingdom and was started in March 1958 while the Preston-By-Pass was still under construction. Thus it was very much an experimental contract in every way and this should have been reflected in the way it was handled.

Length: 35.41 / 22 M54 Two roads of major historic importance traverse the area within which the M54 was built. These are the A5, Watling Street, which was part of the network of military roads built by the Romans in C.40 AD. The Watling Street connected Rochester in Kent to Wroxeter in Shropshire. The other road which came to prominence in the early nineteenth century was the A454/A41/A5, Birmingham to Holyhead Turnpike much of which was built by Thomas Telford in the early 1800's. Length: 30 / 18.64 M6 The M6 is the longest motorway in the UK, extending from Catthorpe (Junction 19 on the M1) to the Scottish border, north of Carlisle. It includes the first section of motorway constructed in the UK, the Preston by-pass, which opened in December 1958. Exactly 50 years later, the final section of the M6, between Carlisle and the Scottish border, was opened. M5 Midland Links Motorways.

M5 (J1 to J3) and M6 (J13 to J1) In 1957 the Ministry of Transport had plans for three main elements of the National Motorway Network, namely the London-Yorkshire Motorway, M1, the Birmingham-South Wales Motorway, M5 and the Birmingham-Preston Motorway, M6. The most important missing element was the link between these three schemes. M69 The planning brief was issued by the Midland Road Construction Unit (MRCU) to the Warwickshire County Council Sub Unit in 1968. The Sub Unit was required to study the traffic needs in the Strensham (M5/M50) to Leicester (M1/A46) corridor and between Birmingham, Coventry and Leicester (M6/A46/A47). Close Background to the development of the Motorway network in the Midlands The English Midlands covers the government's administrative areas of West Midlands and East Midlands and is the are which was covered by the Department of Transport's Midland Road Construction Unit (MRCU). MRCU were responsible for the capital works programme for motorway construction between 1967 and 1988.

The area covered the eight counties of Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. The area also includes the Birmingham Conurbation which has a population of some three million people and is the second largest urban conurbation in Britain. It has often been written that the Midlands is at the 'hub' of the motorway network. This is, of course, a truism as the Midlands and particularly Birmingham, sits exactly halfway between London and the Manchester Conurbation. It is also similarly situated between Bristol in the southwest and the rest of the country. Its importance in the nations transport infrastructure cannot therefore be over stressed. The first piece of the motorway network to enter the Midland area was the M1 with its associated spur M45 which was opened to traffic in 1959. It took a further 16 years before London and Birmingham were directly linked with the building of the M6 Midland Links motorways. For many years the 'hub' consisted only of three 'spokes', that is M1/M6 and M5.

Although the basic motorway network was laid down in the late 50's and early 60's and added to in the early 70's, the network remains incomplete today. The Automobile Association, in their publication, 'The Great British Motorist 2000' stated that in comparison with our European neighbours, Britain has a sparse motorway network. This can readily be seen in the Midlands where the existing network is the most congested in Europe. The M5, M6 and M42 are all carrying traffic in excess of 150,000 vehicles per day which is double their original design capacity. The section of the Midlands Links through Birmingham has recorded flows of over 160,000 vehicles per day with an HGV content of 30%. The Birmingham Conurbation is one of the most densely populated urban areas in Europe yet is poorly served by motorways. The sheer volume of traffic causes static conditions every weekday with consequent huge delay costs.

It was recognised some 25 years ago that a relief network, to take through traffic away from the urban areas, was essential, but despite half-hearted attempts by successive governments neither the Northern Relief Road [BNRR] nor the Western Orbital Route [BWOR] are built and at the time of writing there is doubt if they ever will be. Many Transport Ministers, and there were nine during the Conservative administration of the 80's and 90's, repeatedly stated that there was an urgent need for these motorways for the economic well-being of the country. The political will however was never sufficiently strong to see the projects through. The environmental lobby which, has increased in its effectiveness over the years has given successive governments the excuse to prevaricate on the issue. But at what cost to industry and the urban environment? It is worth recording here that one of the main reasons why motorways either do not get built or are subject to years of delay is the complicated system of statutory procedures which have to be negotiated even before the construction phase can start. The first section of M1 opened in 1959 did not require a single public inquiry or hearing into all the published draft schemes and orders thus the planning period lasted barely two years.

Contrast this with the final section of M40 in the Midlands where the 'planning period' took 20 years to complete. In researching the history of the various sections of motorway in the Midlands it is a wonder that any were built at all. The M5/M6 through the centre of the Birmingham Conurbation was not built on its original route due to local political lobbying who wanted the motorway as close to the city centre as possible. The original design for dual 4-lane standard was down-graded on the instructions of the then Transport Minister. The Midlands links (M5/M6) motorways with its 9km of elevated road and including the infamous Gravelley Hill (Spaghetti Junction) remains however one of the greatest achievements in design and construction in the entire motorway network. The M69 between Coventry and Leicester was planned as a major south-west to north-east link between industrial centres and to relieve various towns and villages of through traffic. Yet shortly before contracts were due to be invited the then government shelved the project. The public outcry at this decision was such that the government had to rapidly back-track and the road was built.

The M54, connecting Telford New Town to M6 had to endure four public inquiries over a period of nearly 14 years largely due to changes in government policy and the unavoidable complexity of the statutory processes. At the eleventh hour, the Secretary of State for the Environment unaccountably wanted the project scrapped. The project had then to be referred to a Cabinet committee who ruled that it should go ahead. Telford was the second largest New Town in the country with a target population of 225,000. The Development Corporation had been promised the motorway to stimulate industrial development and attract much-needed jobs. Had the M54 been scrapped many tens of millions of pounds of public investment would have been put in jeopardy. The building of M54 attracted huge inward investment from many multi-national companies and Telford has become a successful and model New Town. Given these facts is is difficult to understand the logic behind some political reasoning. An example of penny-pinching short-termism, was the decision to build the M5 in Worcestershire as a 4-lane motorway against all professional advice. The sections both the north and south were to be 6-lane standard.

The motorway soon became dangerously over-loaded and had to be widened at a cost over ten times that of the original motorway. The M42 was planned to connect M5 South of Birmingham to M1 at Nottingham to provide a major national cross-country route linking urban areas. The first section to be built was the Solihull section. It started and finished in a field. For many years the length north of M6 was used as an overspill car park for the National Exhibition Centre! It was decreed that the sections of M42 on either side of the Solihull section had to justify themselves as pieces of free-standing motorway. As small parts of an overall strategic route this was not possible. Hence after several difficult public inquiries it was not until 1989 that M42 began to operate as it had been originally planned - ten years after the first section had been completed. Even the final length between Ashby and M1 was unaccountably down-graded to an all-purpose road giving a congested and less safe road. The M40 was planned to provide a second link between London and Birmingham.

Although the first section between London and Oxford was opened in 1978 it took a further 13 years before the M40 was finally complete. Changes in governments, changes in policy, moratoriums, and the rise in strength of environmental objection all contributed to this long delay. Even the preferred route was altered at the last minute to satisfy powerful minority interests. M40 did however provide a for the 'spoke' to the Midlands 'hub' - thirty two years after the first and gave major relief to M1/M6. In latter years, governments have tendered to favour investment in the rail network at the expense of roads even though the strategic road network was incomplete. This has largely been brought about by the gathering strength of the environmental lobby who argue that an improved rail network will relieve congestion in the roads. This does howeve ignore the fact that 90% of goods and passengers will continue to travel by road because roads provided the most flexible and convenient mode of transport. Road traffic continues to increase with consequent increases to industry and commerce. As mentioned above, the orbital system planned to be built around the west Midlands Conurbation is till not built. The BNRR commenced its planning period in the late 1970's.

It was considered by government to be 'vital' and 'urgently needed'. Having completed the major part of its statutory process by 1989 it was programmed to be opened to traffic by early 1994. History will show that the policy to transfer the road from the public sector to the private sector 'to speed up its completion' was disastrous. This 'speeding up' has had the reverse affect and even if the road is built it will still be at least ten years late. The BWOR was 'of the highest priority' and the preparation and design was fast-tracked to enable it to be opened also by 1994. Due largely to environmental pressure and changes in government policy, the BWOR was removed from the road programmed in 1995. It is estimated that over £50 million of tax-payers money was written off following this decision. This introduction to the development of motorways in the Midlands does not make inspiring reading and only underlines the fact that major roads are political footballs and could be subject to all manner of delay and prevarication. The Midlands has probably suffered more from this problem than any other region.

Main Menu CBRD » Motorway Database » M54 Factfile Images Timeline Exit List The M54 is Telford's very own motorway, connecting Shropshire to Wolverhampton and the West Midlands via the M6 . Unfortunately the residents of Shropshire can only visit parts of the wider world that lie to the south as the M6 interchange only has south-facing sliproads and can't be used to get to or from the north. They can't even reach the M6 Toll , a motorway that ends almost head-on with the M54, because there's no direct connection to that either. Proposals for a new road to connect the M54 to the north and east have been drawn up but continue to falter. Traffic from the M54 is a major contributor to the traffic problems on the M6 within the West Midlands area, since it and the M5 both unburden themselves onto the road, and between their two junctions the M6 is usually unbearably busy.

The M54 was granted a westward extension in the early 1990s, continuing the route all the way to Shrewsbury, though it would be a mistake to think an extension of the same road built to the same standard and heading in the same direction would be part of the M54. Instead, it's part of the A5. Shrewsbury Town Council have declared an interest before now in having that section of the A5 reclassified as M54 so that their town is on the motorway network. M54 junction 5 moved house not long after the motorway opened, thanks to the rapidly changing structure of Telford as the New Town was built. The current incarnation replaces a limited access half-diamond junction that was located slightly closer towards junction 4. It marked the eastern end of the original three-lane section of M54, and the point is still visible today because the road surface to the west is still wide enough for dual three-lanes. Between there and the new junction 5, the road was painted down to two lanes when the eastward extension was opened with just two lanes.

Factfile M54 link to M6 Toll Images Views of the M54 from on and off the road. If you have a photo to contribute, contact me . One of the M54's brief three lane sections, here between junctions 1 and 2. Both sections are marked this way, with the third lane marked as a slip road all the way through. Photo by Steven Jukes The M54 is an excessively average motorway. It spends most of its time in a cutting like this, so you can't see anything, which does not make for an exciting drive. Photo by Steven Jukes Junction 4 only recently gained its service area. This roundabout sign appears to be an original 1983 model which now has a mess of patching on it - one non-primary, one not using the correct font, one hanging off the bottom. Photo by Steven Jukes The location of the original junction 5 is obvious - a full ghost exit, missing only the dashed sliproad markings. It's also noticeable by (shown here eastbound) the end of the original three-lane carriageway. When it was continued east, it was only built to two lane standard.

Here the extra-wide hard shoulder narrows. Photo by Steven Jukes A pleasant, but monotonously dull, wooded cutting carries the M54 through Telford, meaning there is little to distinguish the urban sections from the rural. As the end of the motorway approaches, the road fails to become any more exciting. Photo by Steven Jukes When the various parts of the M54 were built, listed in chronological order. Open M6 motorway | UK Transport Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 and from the beginning of A14 in Catthorpe near Rugby in central England, passes between Coventry and Nuneaton , through Birmingham , Walsall and Stafford and near the major cities of Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent . The motorway has a major junction onto the M56 and M62 at Warrington , giving access to Manchester and Liverpool . The M6 then heads north past Preston and Lancaster .

After the latter two cities it passes through Cumbria with some parts very close to the edge of the Lake District , and then passes Carlisle on its way to Gretna , before the motorway becomes the A74(M) a few hundred metres short of the Scottish border. History File:M6 motorway Preston England.jpg The first section of the motorway and the first motorway in the country was the Preston by-pass. It was built by Tarmac Construction and opened by the Prime Minister Harold Macmillan on 5 December 1958. [1] In January 1959 the Preston By-pass was closed because of rapid surface deterioration over a stretch of Template:Convert/yd "due to water freezing and then thawing". Motorists were diverted to the old road while the UK road research laboratory at Harmondsworth pondered the importance of surface water drainage. [2] Later the motorway was extended in both directions and is now Template:Convert/mi long. File:M6 motorway, Cheshire, 1969.jpg The second phase of construction was completed in 1960, running to junction 35 and forming the Lancaster by-pass.

Some Template:Convert/mi south, the Stafford by-pass was completed in 1962. By 1965, the remaining section of motorway towards Preston had been completed. 1968 saw the completion of the Walsall to Stafford link as well as the Penrith by-pass some Template:Convert/mi north in Cumberland . In 1970, the Lancaster-Penrith link was completed, along with a short section of motorway by-passing the south of Walsall. The most northernly section of the motorway also opened in 1970, running to the designated terminus north of Carlisle . By 1971, the full route was completed between the junction with the M1 motorway at Rugby and the A452 road several miles north-east of Birmingham city centre, including the 3½ miles of viaduct between Castle Bromwich (J5) and Gravelly Hill (J6), which is the longest viaduct in Great Britain. [3] [4] Junction 6 in Birmingham is widely known as Spaghetti Junction because of its complexity.

On the elevated ground between Shap and Tebay , the north and south-bound carriages split apart. At this point a local road (to Scout Green ) runs between the two carriageways without a link to the motorway. The section of the M6 which runs over Shap Fell in Cumbria is Category:Aldwych Branch The Short Streach Of Line Between Holborn And Aldwych Was Closed In 1994.The Line Was Due To be extended to Waterloo but never was.There will be a bit of Aldwych In My Website when added above sea level, one of the highest points on any motorway in the UK (junction 22 of the M62 on Saddleworth Moor is higher). The motorway engineers here chose to follow the route of the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway engineered by Joseph Locke (now part of the West Coast Main Line) where the motorway runs in a split-level cutting above the railway in the descent from Shap Fell through the Lune Gorge into southern Cumbria. The northbound entry slip road at Lancaster (J34) is unusually short, presenting problems for traffic joining the motorway.

The M6 crosses the River Lune at this point and unless the bridge had been made wider, there was no space to build a longer slip road. This junction was upgraded from an earlier emergency-vehicles-only access point, which explains the substandard design. The route was intended to replace the old A6 , but a much closer approximation to the actual route of the M6 is provided by following the route: A45 , A34 , A50 , A49 , A6 . Operational Edit In July 1972 the UK Minister for Transport Industries announced that Template:Convert/mi of UK motorway particularly prone to fog would benefit from lighting in a project which "should be" completed by 1973. [5] Sections to be illuminated included the M6 between junctions 10 and 11, and between junctions 20 and 27.

[5] In March 2006, after 15-years of debate, [6] the government authorised the construction of a Template:Convert/mi extension of the M6 from its then northern terminus near Carlisle to the Anglo-Scottish border at Gretna (the so-called "Cumberland Gap"), where it links into the existing A74(M) . [7] The road opened on 5 December 2008, the 50th anniversary of the M6 Preston Bypass. [8] The project, which was a mixture of new road and upgrade of the existing A74, crosses the West Coast Main Line and had an estimated costs of £174 million. It completed an uninterrupted motorway from Cumbernauld (via the M73 ) in the north to Exeter (via the M5 ) and to London (via both the M42 / M40 and the M1 ) in the south. The M6 Toll , Britain's first toll motorway , which bypasses the West Midlands conurbation to the east and north of Birmingham and Walsall and was built to alleviate congestion through the West Midlands, and opened in December 2003.

Prior to the opening of the toll motorway, this section of the M6 carried 180,000 vehicles per day at its busiest point near Wolverhampton (between the junctions with the M54 and M5 motorways), compared with a design capacity of only 72,000 vehicles. Usage, at about 50,000 vehicles was lower than expected and traffic levels on the M6 were only slightly reduced as a result. The high toll prices which were set by the operating company and about which the UK government has no influence were blamed for the low usage. [9] Much traffic continues to use the M6 or the continued on the M1 and took the A50 or A52 .[ citation needed ] A proposed extension to the M6 Toll, known as the ' M6 Expressway ' would have continued from the M6 Toll as far as Knutsford , at which point much of the existing M6 traffic leaves the M6 for Manchester was abandoned in 2006 due to excessive costs, anticipated construction problems [10] and disappointing levels of usage of the M6 Toll.

Proposed developments Edit The government wishes to improve reliability and capacity between Junctions 11 by Cannock and Junction 19 near Knutsford . In 2004, it favoured a new motorway, 'The Expressway' following a roughly parallel course to the existing M6. [11] In July 2006, the government announced its decision to abandon the Expressway proposal, and favoured widening accompanied by demand-management measures, [12] and have launched a study to consider options for providing additional capacity. [13] The first phase of the widening could be completed by 2014, with the remaining sections following until full completion in 2017. [12] Hard shoulder running (junction 4-5 and 8 to 10a) Edit In October 2007, following a successful trial on the M42 in the West Midlands, the UK government have announced that two stretches of the M6 will be upgraded to allow the hard shoulder to be used as a normal running lane during busy conditions under a scheme called Active Traffic Management .

[14] The two stretches, between junctions 4 and 5 and between junctions 10a and 8, are two of the busiest sections on the entire motorway[ citation needed ]. The system could also be extended onto other stretches of the M6 as the government is going to undertake a feasibility study to determine other likely locations where this technology can be used.[ citation needed ] Junction with M1 and A14 The Highways Agency is planning a major upgrade to the overloaded interchange between the M6, the M1 motorway and the A14 road at Catthorpe . [15] M6 motorway in culture Edit The M6 motorway was featured in the lyrics of Wings ' 1973 single " Helen Wheels ": "M6 south down Liverpool , where they play the west coast sound". The song was a single only release in the UK (1973) but was added to the US and international album release of Band on the Run . Reference to the motorway appeared in the 1975 song " Moonlighting " by Leo Sayer via the lyric "Meanwhile the Carlisle turnoff of the M6 motorway, drinking cold black coffee, eating hot cup cakes".

A reference to the M6 motorway is made in the song "Family" from the 1989 New Model Army album Thunder and Consolation : "M6 southbound road side cafe on a wild wet windy night." The song 'Northern', by experimental English group One More Grain describes a journey through Cumbria on the northbound carriageway of the M6 ("driving on the M6, headed north to Penrith"), mentioning many of the sites, towns and landmarks on the way e.g. Sedbergh , Howgill Fells , Metal Bridge, Rockcliffe Marsh and the Solway Firth . Junctions Data [16] [17] from driver location signs are used to provide distance and carriageway identifier information. Where a junction spans several hundred metres and the start and end distances are known, both distances are shown. M6 Motorway File:M6 motorway near Carnforth.jpg Each motorway in England requires that a legal document called a Statutory Instrument be published, detailing the route of the road, before it can be built. The dates given on these Statutory Instruments relate to when the document was published, and not when the road was built.

Provided below is an incomplete list of the Statutory Instruments relating to the route of the M6. Statutory Instrument 1987 No. 252: County Council of West Midlands (M6 Motorway Junction 10) (Connecting Road) Scheme 1985 Confirmation Instrument 1987 [18] Statutory Instrument 1987 No. 2254: M6 Motorway (Catthorpe Interchange) Connecting Roads Scheme 1987 [19] Statutory Instrument 1990 No. 2659: M6 Motorway: Widening between Junctions 20 and 21A ( Thelwall Viaduct ) and Connecting Roads Scheme 1990 [20] Statutory Instrument 1991 No. 1873: M6 Motorway (Widening and Improvements Between Junctions 30 and 32) and Connecting Roads Scheme 1991 [21] Statutory Instrument 1993 No.

1370: Lancashire County Council (Proposed Connecting Roads to M6 Motorway at Haighton) Special Roads Scheme 1992 Confirmation Instrument 1993 [22] Statutory Instrument 1997 No. 1292: M6 Birmingham to Carlisle Motorway (At Haighton) Connecting Roads Scheme 1997 [23] Statutory Instrument 1997 No. 1293: M6 Birmingham To Carlisle Motorway (at Haighton) Special Roads Scheme 1997 Transfer Order 1997 [24] Statutory Instrument 1998 No. 125: The M6 Motorway (Saredon and Packington Diversions) Scheme 1998 [25] See also Motorways Roadworks - BBC Travel Between J2 for A228 Strood Kent And J3 for A229 Chatham Kent M2 Kent - Three lanes closed on M2 coastbound between J2, A228 (Strood) and J3, A229 (Chatham), because of roadworks during the night.

severe 10:50 Updated 3 hours ago M3 Surrey Southbound roadworks At J2 for M25 Surrey M3 Surrey - M3 exit slip road to clockwise M25 closed southbound at J2 M25, because of roadworks during the night. Diversion in operation - via anticlockwise M25 to J11 and return. severe 08:10 Updated 3 hours ago M4 Cardiff Eastbound roadworks At J32 for A470 Cardiff M4 Cardiff - M4 exit slip road closed eastbound at J32, A470 (Coryton Interchange), because of roadworks. severe 07:54 Updated 3 hours ago M4 Cardiff Eastbound roadworks At J33 for A4232 Cardiff M4 Cardiff - M4 entry slip road closed eastbound at J33, A4232 (Cardiff West And Services), because of roadworks. Diversion in operation - to head west on the M4 to Junction 34 (Miskin) and loop back to head east towards Junction 32.

severe 07:51 Updated 3 hours ago M4 Monmouthshire Westbound Between J1A for A206 Kent And J31 for A1306 Lakeside M25 Kent - Two lanes closed on M25 Dartford Tunnel anticlockwise between J1a, A206 (Erith) and J31, A1306 (West Thurrock), because of roadworks during the night. severe 13:34 Updated 2 hours ago M54 Shropshire Eastbound roadworks At J6 for A518 Shropshire M54 Shropshire - M54 entry slip road closed eastbound at J6, A518 (Telford West), because of roadworks during the night. Diversion in operation. severe 12:34 Updated 2 hours ago M50 Gloucestershire Eastbound roadworks At J1 for A38 Gloucestershire M50 Gloucestershire - M50 exit slip road closed eastbound at J1, A38 (Tewkesbury), because of roadworks during the night. Diversion in operation.

severe 12:24 Updated 2 hours ago M4 Berkshire Westbound Between J12 for M60 Greater Manchester And J11 for A574 Risley M62 Greater Manchester - One lane closed on M62 westbound between J12, M60 (Eccles Interchange) and J11, A574 (Birchwood), because of roadworks during the night. severe 13:10 Updated 2 hours ago M6 Cheshire Southbound roadworks At J19 for A556 Cheshire M6 Cheshire - M6 entry slip road closed southbound at J19, A556 (Knutsford), because of roadworks during the night and repairs. severe 12:49 Updated 2 hours ago M56 Cheshire Eastbound roadworks At J10 for A49 Cheshire M56 Cheshire - M56 lane closed on entry slip road eastbound at J10, A49 (Stretton), because of roadworks during the night.

severe 12:31 Updated 2 hours ago M56 Cheshire Westbound roadworks At J7 for A556 Cheshire M56 Cheshire - M56 exit slip road closed westbound at J7, A556 (Bowdon), because of roadworks during the night. severe 12:29 Updated 2 hours ago M56 Cheshire Eastbound roadworks At J7 for A556 Cheshire M56 Cheshire - M56 entry slip road closed eastbound at J7, A556 (Bowdon), because of roadworks during the night. severe 12:25 Updated 2 hours ago M56 Cheshire Westbound Between J5 for A452 West Midlands And J6 for A38 Birmingham M6 West Midlands - Two lanes closed on M6 northbound between J5, A452 (Castle Bromwich) and J6 A38(M) Aston Expressway, because of roadworks.

severe 21:54 Updated 1 hour ago M25 Essex Clockwise roadworks At the QE2 Bridge Essex M25 Essex - Three lanes closed on M25 clockwise at the QE2 Bridge, because of roadworks during the night. severe 13:37 Updated 1 hour ago M25 Greater London Anti-clockwise roadworks At J25 for A10 Greater London M25 Greater London - M25 entry slip road closed anticlockwise at J25, A10 (Enfield), because of roadworks during the night. Diversion in operation - onto the M25 clockwise, and turn around at J26. severe 13:28 Updated 1 hour ago M25 Hertfordshire Clockwise roadworks At J19 for A41 Hertfordshire M25 Hertfordshire - M25 exit slip road closed clockwise at J19, A41 (Watford), because of roadworks during the night. Diversion in operation - into Watford from J20 Kings Langley.

severe 13:19 Updated 1 hour ago M1 Greater London Southbound roadworks At J2 for A1 Greater London M1 Greater London - M1 exit slip road closed southbound at J2, A1 (Fiveways Corner, Hendon), because of roadworks during the night. Diversion in operation - down to the North Circular at Staples Corner, and back up the A41 from Brent Cross. severe 13:16 Updated 1 hour ago M54 Shropshire Eastbound roadworks At J5 for A5 Shropshire M54 Shropshire - M54 exit slip road closed eastbound at J5, A5 (Telford Central), because of roadworks during the night. Diversion in operation. severe 12:29 Updated 1 hour ago M25 Essex Clockwise roadworks At J31 for A1306 Arterial Road West Thurrock Essex M25 Essex - M25 entry slip road closed clockwise at J31 A1306 Arterial Road West Thurrock, because of roadworks during the night.

Diversion in operation - via anticlockwise M25 to J30 and return. severe 08:37 Updated 1 hour ago M25 Surrey Clockwise roadworks At J9 for A243 Surrey M25 Surrey - Slip roads closed on M25 clockwise at J9, A243 (Leatherhead), because of roadworks during the night. Diversion in operation - to J8 or J10 and return. severe 08:22 Updated 1 hour ago M4 Berkshire Westbound roadworks At J5 for A4 Berkshire M4 Berkshire - M4 exit slip road closed westbound at J5, A4 (Langley), because of roadworks during the night. Diversion in operation - to J6 and return towards London. severe 08:14 Updated 1 hour ago M6 Cheshire Southbound roadworks At J20 for A50 Cheshire M6 Cheshire - One lane closed on M6 southbound at J20, A50 (Lymm Interchange), because of roadworks during the night. severe 12:55 Updated 1 hour ago M40 Warwickshire Northbound

Question: Which motorway links the M6 with Telford?
Answer: M54